Saturday, November 14, 2009

Well, my fellow Politicos, there must be something wacky in the water in Washington, because the GOP has decided abortion is acceptable, and we have a new President who thinks for himself. Now, I don't know about you, but all this could take some getting used to...sure, this is a sea-change for the Republicans, but the real change comes with an intelligent President who knows how to think and reason. I knew I liked this guy - he even assigns reading to his staff - and I'd be willing to bet that they're books he's actually read himself!

Now, back to the GOP. Yes, apparently the Republicans have had this dirty little secret for awhile. Earlier this week, at the peak of the Stupak fury, comes the news that the GOP's health plan has included abortion coverage since 1991. I nearly choked on my Snapple Diet Raspberry Iced Tea. "Uh, excuse me? That can't be right. Could you please say that again?" And, being the obliging pundit that she is, Rachel Maddow repeated it for me one more time. See for yourself:

Damn! That what I thought she said! So, let me get this straight. It's morally wrong to provide abortion funding for middle class working folks and for the lowest socioeconomic levels in our society, but for the past two decades, it has been absolutely A-O.K. for exclusive members of the GOP to have access to those services. Did the C Street guys come up with this, or what??? 'Cause I gotta say, that's some pretty flawed logic, even for Rethuglicans: "It's immoral for you people, but it's perfectly fine for us, because we're the chosen ones...you know, above the law." Ah, the ol' King David defense.

So, just to recap, the GOP has taken an axe to the plank of their party platform that states that "abortion is a fundamental assault on the sanctity of innocent human life." All of a sudden, the rest of the world gets an insider's look at the Republican Party: it is entirely acceptable for the party elite to have free access to abortion. Don't get me wrong, I expect hypocrisy from the Party of No. Their platform has always been full of contradictions; maybe they can borrow our plank to repair their platform, since it seems to fit their philosophy better than their own does...Needless to say, once word of this hit the press, the revisionist history began: the insurance policy was immediately changed. Because, of course, that means it never existed. This is the part where, if you're a GOP insider, you put your fingers in your ears and sing loudly over the objections of the rank and file...Certainly would be interesting to see how many people availed themselves of that fully covered and legal medical procedure in the last twenty years, don'tcha think? And the hypocrisy of the Rethuglican Party continues...

The other story that got my head spinning, but in an entirely different direction, was the news that the U.S. now has a President that is demanding, not asking, demanding an exit strategy from a war in which we are deeply embroiled. Whoa. Now there's a serious policy change from the past eight years! We now have a President that, a) believes in thinking and analyzing a situation before taking action, b) actually has the intelligence to decide if a policy recommendation is reasonable and our best option, and c) has the cojones to veto what his advisers bring forward and to send them back to the drawing board to brainstorm a workable solution. Here is a President that has the good sense to look at history and see what we've learned. Once upon a time we had a land war in Asia, and it didn't go well. (Insert your favorite The Princess Bride line here...) The fact that President Obama is using the lessons of Vietnam as part of the decision-making process is a refreshing look into the practices of this administration. Wow - talk about a paradigm shift! This might take a little getting used to - but in a good way!

What was really amazing to me about both of these stories is that the mainstream American media acted as if these stories did not exist, as if they weren't on the radar. It took The Telegraph in the UK to pick up this story and get it to the AP, where it was hardly looked at by major news sources. And with the GOP story, The Boston Globe and The Rachel Maddow Show were the closest thing to mainstream media to pick up the story. (So much for liberal media bias!) I'd ask why this is the case, but I've beaten that dead horse with a stick more times than I can count here, and I won't bore you with it again. But nonetheless, it does remain a burning question.

So, a boisterous "Shame on you!" to the Grand Obstructionist Party for their ongoing hypocrisy...Lordy, they never disappoint, do they? And a grand "Huzzah!" for our thinking man's President! Now, that's a change long overdue and one I can completely support! Happy weekend, my fellow Politicos - looking forward to your comments!

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I refuse to cave to a minivan. I am still a tomboy - comfortable in Levi's, my Yankees cap and Converse. And I always have a political opinion...hell, I always have an opinion, period. The hubby, my kids and my friends think I should run for office. Maybe one day. But for now, Momma Politico blogs. Peruse, enjoy, and know that our busy lives are as significant as those in The Washington Post. Cheers, Heidi Haines AKA Perry MacNeil Momma Politicomommapolitico@gmail.com